Building on resilience, innovation and circularity amidst global pandemic 2020 was a relentless year, marked by global fear, uncertainty and instability. For social enterprises active in circular services, COVID-19 severely disrupted existing activities, placing immeasurable strain on many of the most vulnerable staff, trainees and volunteers. The crisis also exacerbated discrepancies in fiscal and political support for social enterprises throughout Europe. In spite of their evident community oriented services, numerous […]
The European Commission released a second edition of ‘Buying social: A guide to taking account of social considerations in public procurement’. The guide reflects developments having been put forward by the EU Public Procurement Directive of 2014. It provides guidelines for public buyers, including governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, on using public procurement to achieve social goals. It also explains how to set up a strategy for socially responsible public procurement […]
As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, RREUSE will be holding its first episode of the series Let’s get talking on 8 June 2021 @ 3:00 pm CET. In this episode, Adam Minter will be joining us to explore the social dimension within the circular transition. The discussion will address, among others, different interpretations of what social value means, how it can be better reflected within the circular economy and […]
RREUSE’s latest briefing, Job creation in the re-use sector: Data insights from social enterprises, highlights the opportunities for job creation in the re-use sector. Based on first-hand experience and expertise provided by the wider RREUSE network, the data was drawn from RREUSE’s annual member survey and several semi-structured interviews for the year 2019. The statistics show that social enterprises active across a diverse range of re-use oriented activities on average […]
For the first time, data for 2019 in Germany shows that electric bikes were sold in higher numbers than diesel cars. It is estimated that the overall bike industry employs around 281,000 people in Germany alone. As the European Commission pleads for cities to double bike lanes by 5,000 km in the next decade, it is clear that the industry will keep growing in coming years. Subsequently, bikes are likely […]
Under the EU Waste Framework Directive, Member States must monitor and assess the implementation of waste prevention measures using appropriate qualitative or quantitative measures[1]. As part of this process and following lengthy negotiations, Member States agreed on December 2020 to use a methodology to monitor re-use activities based on an implementing decision laying down a common methodology and a format for reporting on re-use. Member States will have to conduct […]
Last week marked a major milestone for the European Pillar of Social Rights[1] – twenty thematic principles which were proclaimed in 2017 with an aim to create a more social Europe based on fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunity. On 4 March, after a year of consultations, the European Commission released the Action Plan[2] setting out several concrete initiatives to create an ‘economy that works for people’ and address the dire […]
Re-use & Repair Online Study Tour for Municipalities and Public Waste Companies #2 Creating an inclusive circular economy at local level Online Seminar & Video site visit 18 & 20 May 2021 This is a paid event. Please consult the Agenda for details about registration fees. RREUSE, the European network of social enterprises active in re-use, repair and recycling, kindly invites you to its Re-use & Repair Online Study […]
Yesterday, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted positively on a text calling for a more ambitious Circular Economy in the EU. Providing an opinion on the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) released by the Commission in March 2020, it complements the comments made by Member States on the same text in December 2020. Mathieu Rama, Senior Policy Officer at RREUSE, insisted: “The RREUSE network is pleased to see that […]
For the fourth year in a row, Green Friday is back, and stronger than ever! Created by Envie in 2017 as a reaction to the consumer event ‘Black Friday,’ Green Friday seeks to raise awareness of the need for a more reasonable, responsible and ethical approach to production and consumption. Appealing to the idea of free will, Green Friday challenges citizens to rethink their consumption habits, successfully preventing waste by […]